What do you think judges are looking for in Smooth these days? I ask because I was at Wisconsin State on Saturday night to watch the Pro Open Smooth event. I have a really mixed reaction to the competition results. The results were:
1. Mayo Alanen/Michelle Officer; 2. Mazen Hamza/Jundzill; 3. Suakjian/Melanie Larson; 4. Paul Cloud/Borbala Bunnet; 5. Ilya Reyzin/Amanda Reyzin; 6. Tony Scheppler/Lisa Vegas.

I was really, really expecting to like Mayo/Michelle because she has such a light ballerina-like extension and presentation. And I've read RAVE reviews about them and their new partnership. But I was so very, very disappointed in what I saw from them. They had little to no musicality - if the music hadn't been playing I would have had no idea that their tango wasn't a viennese waltz. Their foxtrot was exactly the same in the quarter, the semi and the final without taking into account whether the music had some zest to it or not. And when they got into traffic, Michelle seemed to take over the lead to find a free space - almost as though Mayo was her student who needed help rather than a partner. If I had been judge, they would have finished 4th.

I would have placed Hamza/Jundzill first. She had some contorted body positions in the quarter and semi but seemed to settle down for the final, and they had some musicality, and big movement and looked comfortable.

I would have placed Suakjian/Larson second - they had some nice shapes, and you could tell that they were actually listening to the music. Cloud/Bunnett were really close to them in my mind - they had REALLY nice musicality and they COULD express the difference between a jazzy versus a smooth foxtrot. It's just that sometimes they got a bit too abrupt with their arm movements and it made it look just a litle bit heavy to me.

I really liked Tony Scheppler, who looked very calm and had big expressive lines. But maybe their material was new, because Lisa looked a bit frantic at times, as though she was trying to remember the choreagraphy.

But still, the judges gave the marks to Alanen/Officer and again they got nice reviews. Maybe as a sentimental favorite, I SO want to agree with the judges about Michelle/Mayo, but I just can't. So, what do you think it is that the judges like so much about them? What do you think the judges want to get out Smooth dancers these days?

I am only speaking from opinion.

I believe that sometimes people get judged based on expectation. The judges have seen them before, maybe even worked with them before and feel like they have "paid their dues"

I also feel like at high level events (and I didn't see this one but the names suggest a pretty big event) the choices get a little more subjective and picky, open to personal preferences in style and so on. These professionals rarely make mistakes and so the judges can assume that what looks like crap to us is some sort of interpretation that was done on purpose. They more or less get the benefit of the doubt and the bigger their reputation the bigger the benefit of that doubt.

I often disagree with placements at big events but then again they aren't asking me...like Blackpool, I never like the way they stack the last six....but as I said before no one actually cares who I would pick

I don't doubt that there some judges prefer certain styles over others. I guess that's what I'm driving at: What ARE the judges looking for these days? Michelle and Mayo are a new partnership, so if Michelle is getting the benefit of the doubt based on her prior results with Eddie Simon, well, that seems to be a bit unreasonable. Eddie and Mayo are certainly two different dancers, so the partnership SHOULD be different - so I'm wondering about what the judges now see as being wonderful, because I just don't see it (and I REALLY want to!).
Hmm - I just took a look at the NDCA website and I don't see Michelle listed as a registrant. I thought that was a requirement for pros competing at NDCA events. Maybe past champions don't have to register?